QSSL QNX 4.25 A - 'crypt()' Local Privilege Escalation

/*
source: https://www.securityfocus.com/bid/1114/info

A design error in the operation of the crypt(3) function exists in QNX, from QNX System Software, Limited (QSSL). The flaw allows the recovery of passwords from the hashes.

On most Unix variants, crypt(3) is based on a variant of the DES encryption algorithm, used as a hashing algorithm. QNX, however, implements its own hashing algorithm, which, unlike standard crypt(3), contains all the information required to directly recover the password. This can result in the recovery of passwords by local users who have access to the password file, which in turn can result in the compromise of the root account. 
*/

static ascii2bin(short x)
{
  if (x>='0' && x<'A')
    return x-'0';
  if (x>='A' && x<'a')
    return (x-'A')+9; 
  return (x-'a')+26+9;
} 
char bits[77];

char *quncrypt(char *pw)
{
  static char newpw[14];
  int i; 
  int j,rot;
  int bit,ofs;
  char salt[2];
  int temp;
  
  salt[0]=*pw++;
  salt[1]=*pw++;
  for (i=0;i<72;i++)
    bits[i]=0;
  for (i=0;i<12;i++)  
    newpw[i]=ascii2bin(pw[i]);
  newpw[13]=0;
  rot=(salt[1]*4-salt[0])%128;  /* here's all the saltdoes.  A rotation */
  for (i=0;i<12;i++)
  {
    for (j=0;j<6;j++)
    {
      bit=newpw[i]&(1<<j);  /* move password into bit array */
      bits[i*6+j]=bit?1:0;
    } 
  }
  while (rot--)  /* do the big rotate */
  {
    bits[66]=bits[0];
    for (i=0;i<=65;i++)
      bits[i]=bits[i+1];
  }
    
  for (i=0;i<8;i++)  
  { 
    newpw[i]=0;
    for (j=0;j<7;j++)
    {                                  
      bit=bits[i+j*8];
      newpw[i]|=(bit<<j);  /* and compile the bit array back */  
    }
  }   
  newpw[8]=0;
  return newpw;
}